You can add items to Reference Manager by three main methods. In the web or desktop version, click on the "+ Add New" button. Three options will be available -- "File(s) from computer", "Add entry manually", and "Import library". The "Import library option allows you to import items via BibTeX (*.bib). Endnote XML (*.xml), or RIS (*.ris).
You can drag and drop or manually find PDF files to add to your library. Reference Manager will then read the PDF file and extract identifiable metadata, as well as including a copy of the actual file in your library. Once included, you will be able to read, annotate, and highlight text in the file that Reference Manager will retain.
If you choose to enter the item manually, you are responsible for adding the metadata for the item, such as the creator, title, publisher, etc.
Import files is useful when you have an entire library from another citation management system or you have downloaded citation files from online sources.
You can also search for items through the Mendeley web search capability. This allows you to search across the libraries of other Mendeley users to discover resources on a particular. From the desktop version of Reference Manager, click on Tools -- "Search for articles online". This will launch a new browser with a search page, https://www.mendeley.com/search/. Please note that not all items may be available to you based on the licensing or subscription terms.
Web Importer allows you to add items to your Mendeley library from your web browser. To add a resource, click the red Mendeley icon in your browser's toolbar. Web Importer will highlight the items on the website that it can access. Select the items and click the "+ Add to Mendeley" button. Web Importer will gather the selected items and add them to your Library. If the items is a PDF file, Web Importer will transfer the file to your Library, as well as all the available metadata. Please note that the Web Importer may not always bring in all citations from your results list and may bring in incomplete citation information. Make a habit of reviewing the completeness of items imported from Web Importer.
Reference Managers helps you to organize your resources. You can create Collections of items around themes or subjects that make sense to you. In the desktop or web version, click on the space underneath "Collections" in the left side pane. Type in the name of the collection and click away. You can also create Groups in the same manner. Groups allows you to share items in your library with others at your discretion. You can invite up to twenty-five (25) people to a Group.
To add a resource to a Collection or Group, click on the appropriate item(s) in your library and then click on the "Organize" button at the bottom of the screen. You can then add the items to Collections or Groups. You can also remove items from Collections or Groups in the same manner, save for selecting to "Remove from Collection".
You can assign tags to each document in your Library and use these tags to help to locate and organize documents. To add a tag, click on the item. A side panel will appear on the right of the screen. Scroll down until you find the "Tags" section. Click the "+" and then add tags.
To mark an item as a favorite, click on the star icon next to the item. You can also mark an item as a favorite by selecting it then clicking on the "Mark as" button at the bottom of the screen. You can then designate an item as a "Favorite" or "Unfavorite" an item.